Infant supporting apparatus



Feb. 28, 1967 L, ARP 3,306,287

INFANT SUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 2, 1964 ,4. mm. 40%; flazwdUnited States Patent Ofiiice 3,306,287 INFANT SUPPORTING APPARATUS LeonJ. Arp, Ames, Iowa, as ignor to Iowa State University ResearchFoundation, Inc., Ames, Iowa, a corporation of Iowa Filed Jan. 2, 1964,Ser. No. 335,159 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-134) This invention relates toapparatus for supporting an infant, and, more particularly, to apparatusfor supporting an infant during medical treatment.

It is an object of the invention to provide novel apparatus forsupporting an infant during therapeusis such as respiratoryaugmentation. As such, this application is related to the co-owned,copending application of David L. Carlson, Serial No. 332,369, filedDecember 23, 1963.

Another object is to provide apparatus especially adapted to confine andsupport an infant in a plurality of different positions for medicaltreatment.

Other objects and advantages of the invention may be seen in the detailsof construction and operation set down in this specification.

The invention is explained in conjunction with the accompanying drawing,in which FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a platform employed to supportand confine an infant;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view such as would be seen along thesight line 22 of FIG. -1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of the platform of FIG. 1 butviewed from the underside and showing a pedestal mount therefor;

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of apparatus for augmenting the breathing ofan infant, used in conjunction with the platform of FIGS. 1-3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view of a modified form of theinvention.

In the illustration given and with particular reference to the drawing,the numeral 19 designates generally a platform which includes a 16" x24" flat panel 11 which may advantageously be constructed of anon-porous material such as metal or plastic for ready autoclaving. Asseen in FIG. 3, the platform is equipped with a pedestal generallydesignated 12 which includes a base 13 and standard 14. Intersecting thestandard 14 and the panel 11 is a ball and socket connection 15 equippedwith suitable lock means 16 for maintaining the platform 10 in a desiredangular position such as that seen in FIG. 3.

Upstanding from the platform panel 11 are a number of barriers employedto support and confine an infant lying on the platform 10. Thesebarriers include the members 17 and 18 which are arranged to be onopposite sides of the infants head. Alternatively, a molded barrier maybe employed for this purpose. Other barriers 19 and 20 provide the samefunction relative to the torso, while the transverse barrier element 21serves, in effect, as a foot rest or stop. Each barrier element 17-21 isadvantageously coupled to the panel 11 by means of brackets 22. Eachbracket 22 includes a right-angled clip having a pair of elongated slotsas at 23 and 24 to facilitate adjustment when secured in place by meansof bolts 25 (see FIG. 2).

Additionally, the panel 11 is equipped with an upstanding bracketgenerally designated 26 which supports in pivotal cantilever fashion anL-shaped transverse rod 27 positioned so as to be above an infantsupported on the panel 11. The rod 27 may be equipped with hose supports28 and 29 which serve to support the hoses 30 and 3,306,287 PatentedFeb. 28, 1967 31 connected to the nose mask 32 of the infant. A nosemask useful in connection with this apparatus can be seen in theco-owned, copending application of John B. Buck, Serial No. 351,182,filed Mar-ch 11, 1964, and now abancloned.

In operation, the barriers 17-21 are adjusted, i.e., positioned so as tosubstantially immobilize an infant and the hoses 30 and 31 areimmobilized in the supports 28 and 29. As such, the hoses provideinhalation and exhalation paths to an augmentor 33 which is more fullydescribed in the above-mentioned application of David L. Carlson. InFIG. 4, the augmentor 33 is seen to be coupled to an air or oxygensupply means as at 35 and an exhalation exhaust means at 34. Theaugmentor 33 is responsive to the initial inhalation of the infant tosupply air under positive displacement to do the work of breathing andthus compensates for respiratory distress. This is not infrequent inpremature infants who lack the strength to breathe when affected with amalady such as respiratory distress syndrome.

It will be appreciated that although one environmental use of theinventive platform has been outlined in detail, other therapeutic usesare available to the medical profession. Infants in particular aredifiicult to support and confine, and the inventive construction thuscan be utilized in other medical treatment such as X-rays. In the lattercase, it is advantageous to cover the platform with lead.

In FIG. 5, it is seen that the platform 111 is equipped with anupstanding post 117 cooperating with a resilient cup-shaped member 118to define a ball and socket joint to support and confine the infantshead in place of the barriers 17 and 18. The cup 118 may advantageouslybe made of latex material and formed to fit the size and shape of thehead of a particular infant.

While in the foregoing specification a detailed description of anembodiment of the invention has been set down for the purpose ofexplanation thereof, many variations in the details herein given may bemade by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for use with infants, a platform equipped withupstanding barriers for confining the infant, said barriers includingparallel members to support and confine the head of the infant andincluding separate members to confine the torso of the infant, bracketmeans upstanding from said platform, gas conduits supported by saidbracket means for conveying gas to and from the nose of an infant onsaid platform, and pedestal means for supporting said platform, saidpedestal means including adjustable connection means attached to saidplatform and selectively adjustable for tilting said platform.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said barriers include a flexiblehead-holding member of general cup shape pivotally secured to saidplatform.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,215,834 11/1965Tayrnan.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner. C. F. ROSENBAUM, AssistantExaminer.

1. IN APPARATUS FOR USE WITH INFANTS, A PLATFORM EQUIPPED WITHUPSTANDING BARRIERS FOR CONFINING THE INFANT, SAID BARRIERS INCLUDINGPARALLEL MEMBERS TO SUPPORT AND CONFINE THE HEAD OF THE INFANT ANDINCLUDING SEPARATE MEMBERS TO CONFINE THE TORSO OF THE INFANT, BRACKETMEANS UPSTANDING FROM SAID PLATFORM, GAS CONDUITS SUPPORTED BY SAIDBRACKET MEANS FOR CONVEYING GAS TO AND FROM THE NOSE OF AN INFANT ONSAID PLATFORM, AND PEDESTAL MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID PLATFORM, SAIDPEDESTAL MEANS INCLUDING ADJUSTABLE CONNECTION MEANS ATTACHED TO SAIDPLATFORM AND SELECTIVELY ADJUSTABLE FOR TILTING SAID PLATFORM.